A corpobation



W, f.. Nm.

mmf Mmmm-mrs MACHINE.

AEPUCAUGH ULE NOV. i9, i911.

yateud De@ 9, mi.

6 SHETS--SHEET L t MCKEHSGNx BLADE asimilar-MMG MACHINE.

APFLICANOFILED NGV. 19. ISH?! E SHEETS-SHEET MQW? www/5 `W. E. NICKERSON. BLADE sHARPeNmG MACHINE.

v APPLICATION FLD NOV. 19. 1917. 1,324,431.

Patented De@ 9,1919

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4 x Mm. .Sw /7/ W .y .M kw N, ww ww W. E. NICKERSYON.

4BLADE SHARPENING MACHINE.

APPucATlpN FILED Nov. 19. 1911.

Patented Dec. 9,1919.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5 W. E. NICKEESON.

BLADE Mmmm@ mamme.'

AFPLRCATOH FILED NDV. i9. 191?.

zsene Das. 9, 1919.

6 SH 'ET -aHEET 6 i ascribed? UNITED STATES; PATENT onirica.

WILLIAM E. momensoi, or aannemer, MssAcHUss'r'rs, Assieiios. 'ro GILLETTE SAFETY mazos COMPANY, or Boeren, MASSACHUSETTS, A conromrioir or DELAVJARE.

- -BI'IADE-SBCARPENING MACHINE.

v- -Apgiiication med'novemberie, i917. seriainazozgoa..

To all whom tmay concern:

4Be it knowntliat I, WILLIAM E. Nro-nimsoN, a citizen othe United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of M iddlesei and State oi?` Massachusetts, have invented 'certain new and use'ful Improvements in Blade-,Sharpening Machines,- of which the followingis a specification.

This inve tion relates to blade-.sharpening machines of the same general character as tho'sesliownland desribedfin'my rior Pat-'- ents #1,126,839, dated Feb. 2, A #1,235,590,1iated August 7,1917, and is 1n- 915, and

tended, tof'improve-.on suclrmaeli'ines in cerf tain particulars which;4 will A hereinafter. ap-

pear. fflhe invention' is herein sliovvnand dembdieglinarnachmewvhich; like projecting' edge 'portion of tbe blade .while being sharpened, whereby the blade edge is caused tobear on the vwheel with u predeterstein which` extends at right an les to v'the length of the blade and is rotateb y mounted e upward and downwardindependintenten Dec. e, i919.

mined pressure. The blade-holder linea.

in a carrier insuoh mannerliat tlie blade edge to be sliar` ened' is self-adjusting to the top of the'grin ing Wheel, on which it rests above and parallel with the axis of the latter. i

The lower` edge of tbe pressurebar ie also located directly above and parallel with the axis lof the grinding wheel and` is rendered the Iii'aliineoff-nyfprior Patent #1,235,590

grinding :or'honing 'the e ges of Gillette safety razor blades and is -iujlly automatic in its action, iny present improvements be- .ing particularly .applicable to such machines.

, IIn `the ,accompanying drawings, Figure lisairont e e containing vmy5improvements, as preferably constructed.

,Fig 1s a vertical section. on tbe line Fig-6 is iifpart a side elevation and in vation of a machine self-adjusting tothe top surfaceof the blade on which it'rests by pivoting it tothe part which carries it 0n al transverse airis:v Exoept as hereinafter described, all of tbe partslabove rgferred to are constructed-iii substantially the same Way as the cori'esgonding parts Aol? the machinesY shown in t e above mentioned patents, towhich ref.- erence may'befniade"for amore detailedl descri tion..

he carrier for tbe blade-holder consists,

in the machine illustrated,of an arm `6 piv- I votally mounted on .a two-part bracket? part a central longitudinal section showing a blade-carrying'arm hereinafter described;

. Fig-7. is a'detail view, mainly in section;

of a paste applying device bereinafterde scribed.. .ertainfA ,parte are omitted from 14`igs..3 tj,p 7 inclusive, which are drawn to a,

. larger scale than Figs. '1 and 2.

The working parts of the mac-bine illus' trated are supported by' a base late 2 and include a grinding Wliccl 3 wliic is rotated continuously and" simultaneously recipro` cated lin tbe dirvotion of its' axis, a bladeholder 4 movable upward and 4downward .tobesliarpened projecting beyond tbe inposition to rest on the top of' the' bolted to the base plate 2, the pivot-edl end of the arm being-.forked 'andnioiin'ted on a.

pair of pins 8 fixed in tbe bracket 7, so as i0 Y afford a long bearing for the arm. The pivotal axis provided-by the pins 8 is is located in the same plane as the top of tbeA arallel with the axis of the grinding wbee 3 and wheel, and at its free end vthe arm' 6 'is pro# vided with socket 4Wliiclzi receives the stem- 9 of tlie blade-bolder and extends in such direction as to cause the projecting blade edge to be presented to tbe/to of the wheel atan angle correspondin to t e bevel desired.

Provision is' ma e for 4adjusting the arm- 6 with respect to its pivot-al axis by insertmg iii cat-li end of the forked portion of the am' a cylindrical bushing l0 eccentrieally mounted on the corresponding pin 8, 'as' sbown in Fig. 5, tbe arni being provided with slots l1 extending radially outward from tlie respective bushings and with a bolt 12 passing ,transveisely through eaeli Slot and `'provided with a nut 13 wliei'ebjr 3 justment and in iinovably clamped tbe tbe bushings '10 may be loosened for ad' the grinding wheeland has alplate 19 piv--A 4o rm :titer adjustment. lt will be evident that by turning the bushings 1() in the arm t5 the'V latter may be moved slightly upward or downward with respect to its pivotal' axis to adjust lthe angle at. which the blade edge is presented to tlie grinding wheel 3, and that by turning one bushing-to e. slightly greater 'extent than the other the ,blade` `holding jaws may be skewed laterally to adjust the alinement of the blade-edge with respect to lie axis of the wheel. After such adjusti ents have been inode, the blade edge may be "brought directly over the-axis of the grinding wheel by shifting the bracket 7 laterally on the base plate 2, sucli shifting being provided for by elongating the perforations in .the bracket 7 which re ceive the bolts 14 by which the bracket is clamped to the base-plate 2,as shownin dotted lines in'Fig. 2. Each bushing 1 0 preferably provided with a supplementary perforation 15 adapted to receive the cor--` responding pivot p1n'8 and having argot-ne;

what greater eccentricity than the perforartion in which tlie pin-is shown as located,

in order that 'the range of adjustment of.;

the arm may be increased if desired.-

The carrier for the pressurejbaiconsists of an arm 16 liaving' aforked endfm located just inside of the forked end por# tionsofthe arm 6 and pivotally mounted' lon the-.pins 8, so-that the pivotal axes of the two arms' lare identicz'il.4 From its pivotal end the arm' 16 extends laterallya ,v 1 1dv upward to a point lebove'tlie,grindix'ig wheel 3, where it isprovidedwith a-lixed head-17,

und fromtlie head l7`on itsouter side a pin- 18 projects at right angles to the v'axis of o t llv mounted .on it. The nressurebar 5 is pivot-ally mounted 'onya pin 512'()A passing;r

through the .plate 19 narits lower end and 'wenn wielthe pirifl'fend above @heup- Per end of the 'Plate 19am-located two vrf tical thumb screws `21v carried Aby the head 17, one on 'ea-ch 'side of tliej'pivoalaxis of seid plate,soel tbat by"edjnstinone ofthe screws upward/- and! jtli'e :other downward the plate can be 'tilted slightlynndjthereby in the direction 'of the exis of the grinding wheel. Thef`f"urpose oftli'is' adjustment is pin 22 carried by the erm 16.

to loQle the ower'edge of theIpreSSiire bai' symmetrically with respect to 'the length of-the blade edge beneath it, on wliiehit` is caused tol'exert .the desired' ressiire 'byapf i-there iscaused to swlngthe pressurebaras a whole!4 loosely mounted in the perforated upper 'end of a fixed upright `25 carried by the bracket 7, and to the lever 24- between its ends is pivotedthe lower end of a ull-rod,

26 extendin upwfird topa" suitafb'elauto- 'maticoperating and timing mechanism, such for example, asf'theoverheady-:mechanism shown and describedfin my .prior patent #1,235,590. The mais may also belinea at any time by the operator, if desired, by means -of a forwardly extending handle27 secured thereto.' The connections between.

the ends of thevlevcrll and the arm 16 :ind` upright 25 constitutes. species of universal joint,l'softliat the free end 'of the arm can move upward. in its curvedputh' without restraint, and the `looseiliess ot'the connection between saidarm and the corresponding end' of the lever 2 4insu'res the-application, of thefiillwweiglitfoftlie erin for whenfthe -p -rodis lowered to the positi'onlshownv in Fig.

: 1 .The erm 6. wh'cl ifcarres the bladeholder isand lowered bylmeansof a link 28 connecting'- tlieunder side of the arm to holdingtlle-lpressure V'bei' upon Athe blade the'v endoffanann 29 secured to the front end fof a rocksheft 30, Figs. 2 and 4, toth'elrearrend of' which is; secured another'.1 arm; 3 1ffpvotally yconnected to lthe lower and ofa,pullfrod/32fwliich'extends upward to the overhead operating and timb Yl @sleeve 35 whichislixed'to and mg mechnismbqve referred u). The rock 301s journaledgin uprghts 33 `and-34 carries vertically adjustable rod 36 having a. forwardly projectingupper end which is located. above a lu` 137; on the-arm 6' and lateral extension of the 'front upright 3 3 servesa'sa stop 'to limit'tlie i'ipwa'rdmove-r ment oisaid'farxn, 'and provision is x'na'de for j loyyeringuthe ull-rod 32 sl'ghtly below the 'point' ,at'whic the blade exige ened wheel 3 by including a loose connection at some point the 1- ,arm-lifting mehanisi'n.l For examspldattli'e .lower end of thelin'k 28 own lin Fig, 1, in dotted lilies, u

vertically elongated slot 38 which receives the pivotwhereby said link isconnected to'.

- the arm-29jgund permits 'the-latterarmto lowered slightlyafter the blade edge .rests on the top of lthe wheel. The pull-rod .139 :extendinglpwrdfrom the-arm 6 be- "tween its v'ends,'9.s shownA in. -`Fi`g". 1, is for| the i to be 's harpcomes 1n contact 'with the grinding purpose off-connecting the arm to a. pick-up I weight ada, ted to balance the wei litof the :erm and 't'e'parts carried the y atthe y mst-ant when the blade edge reaches the grinding wheel, Ias explained in the ebove` mentioned Patent' #1,235,590. Y The jaws of the blade-bolder are opene by means of allink 40 pivoted at-one end yto an upwardly extending projection 4l on t mutter-tyrant the ,upper jaw of .the blade-holder and at its other end to a bell crank lever 42 pivotf ally supported on the arm 6 and 'connected 'b means of a link 43 to one endet a latera y extending arm 44'. At its'opposite end this arm 441s secured to ja'rock shaft 45 journaled inthe sleeve and carrying at .its rear -end.a laterally extending arm 46 connected -by a pull-rod 47. to the overhead 10 mechanism. The link 43 extends upward and downward in close proximity to the axis ofthe arm 6, so that th'e pivotal movements of said. arm have no effect on the openingand closing of; the blade-holder,A

and vice-versa, and a loose connection simi# lar. to that at the lower end of the link 28 is provided athsome convenient point, as

" l.at the lower endofthe'link-li, for example,

thereby enabling-the pull-rod 47 to 'be lowered far enough to insure the closing of the blade-holder Jaws* by the springs 'included inthe bladesholder for 4that purpose. The.

link moves in a vertical slot in a lug 48 carried by `the..arm .6, 'whereby' the blade- 26 holder is prevented from being rotated. e'x- -cept to the lslight extent .necessary to render it self-adios,ting to" the .Y top' of. the wheel 3.

When the machine isjused for'honing blade the4 grinding-'wheel 3 hasto be 30 dressed romtime to time with an abrasive 5 paste, and rovson is made 'for doing this automatica. y by meansofacu 49 attached at itsleenter tothe upper en oi a down:

'wardlyextending stem 50 rotatably mounted 3 Q;' i 1'and'supported bya .tubularsocket 51 'by the freeend of an'arm 52 which 1s 'mountedon the reduced front end of the ,I shaft/i-and is adapted to turn'freely -',cithereon,asshown-ginf'Fi s. l. 'and 4. The 4G cup' 19. is7loatedb9nl-th' egrinding wheel fand-.carries .an..upwardlyextending stick 9f- 53 suitable .forV drssin the wheel saptedtozbemoved into an ont of'contactiwjthfthej'cjlindrical surface of Aand lowering the arm 52511 The Stem'O w ichcarries the cupis' -inclined at @slight angle-t0 theax'is' zt-the wheel 3,-'a`sshown in.1l`ig.' 7, and censequently vwhen the lupper'end .of the .-paste 450. stick 53 raised into contactwiththe wheel the .rotation ofthelatter 'causes' 'the paste 'stick land the cup to rotate also, so that the paste stick is worn down luniformly o n all sides. VThe /paste is also .distributed on the bcylindrical surface of the wheel 3 by reason .ofthe combined rotation and axial reciprocation of the latter, -which brings al1' parts of itsoperative surface into Ycontact with the paste stick while the latter is held in elevated osition.

` For li ing' the arm 52 to bring about the dressing of the wheel 3, as above described, I employ a tension spring 54 'connectingan .upwardly-promoting extension of said arm .pivotally mounted on a fixed stud 56 and .blade-holder. l" This is done bymeans .of af Such .positionthat the axisb the spindle to the bracket 7, as 'sliown in Fig. l, so that sa. the paste stick is elevated bythe spring 54.- whenever euch movement is permitted. T he arm 52 is normally held in 'its lowered posi# tion, however, by means of another arm 55 carrying at its free end a pin 57 which overlies the arm 52, the arm 55. being acted upon by a springtr 58 which tends to depress the. pin 5 7 and is strong enough to overcome the' eil'ect of the spring'54. The arm 55 is antomatically elevated against the action of the f spring 5 8 by means of an arm 5 9 connected at oneend to the hubof the arm 55 and at its .other"-'.end to a pull-rod 60 which extends upward 'to the overhead mechanism, the latter beingr arranged to lift the 'arm'.59 .at such intervals as may be necessary'or prop. v erly dressingthe wheel 3. The normal po sition of the cup 49 may be varied from time to time, according,r to the length of the paste stick, by providing the Aarm 59 with' a' series ,-j of perforations 61, into any one-of which the lower end'of the-pull-rod 60 can be hooked. At the left hand endof Fig. `1 there is illustrated in part, in-dotted'li'n'es, a bladetransferring mechanism like that shown and described in my prior'. Patent. #1,235,590, 1.1.2 .,-I

one of' theiunctions of which is to'reverse the blades end for end with respect to the.

rotatable spindle carryingat one `en d a pairA J `of jaws which embrace theblade .after the v1; il.

.blade-holder has been elevated. above theV :5' grindingwheel and then grasp the'gblade in 100 passes through l:the'center of the4 blade. at 5 right anglsf'to the .'lengthvo the latter,

whereupon bhdholder is. lwered to disengagefitfrom the blade, the spindle is given a halfuotationA to reverse the blade," 1.05

and the blade-holder is then elevated to re-v .t i cei've-the'blade when freedfromthe jaws, 'ii

a similar mechanism beingi-employed for re- .n versing .the bladev edge for edge in case it has two cutting edges. In the patented machine, however, -the blade'is slanted transversely lat a 'fixed angle in all positions of the.blade.holder, and consequently when .the

blade-holder is elevated to the lposition inf which the reversing jaws embrace the edge" portion of the blade Ithe first eiect of the jaws on t e blade when theyvgrasp the latter is to lift i .slightly with respect to the positioning ins. The result is that'the control ofthe b ade by these pins is lost before the 'l blade is tightly gripped, and hence the blade sliable Ito slip slightly'ont of. position with: respect. to the jaws. Thisv is detrimental to the jsubsequent control ofthe blade, since any displacement which it undergoes .is dou-` bled when it isreversed by the half-rotation f of the jaws. The disadvantage just referred to is avoidedin the machine herein described, in'which the parts can be so' ad- Just/ed that whenlthebla, eholder is elevated toits uppermost positioit e'blade (shown at `69.) will lie in a horizontal plane, in position to be embraced by the jaws of the reversing mechanism and tightly gripped Athereby 'without lifting it from the posi.-

f chinas shown inv myjprior patents, the parallel-'motion'. linkages found in the latter being omitted from the present machine, and in the effectivenessxvith Awhich the relation of the blade edge to be ground and of the bottom edge of the pressure bar to the axis of the grinding wheel, and to each other, can

be maintained alter adjustment This is an important factor 1n securing uniformity in the sharpened blade ed es, and is due in part to the rduction of t e number of relacarelessness on the partof the operator.`

tively movable elemente and pivotal connections in the parte whlehcarry the blade holder and the pressure bar, and in part to the special construction andarrangement of the means employed for adjusting these parts, all of which features contribute to the prevention yof disturbance of. the' relation above referred to, either by wear resulting from continued use of the machine or by changes in adjustment due ivo-accident .or

The arrangementfor dressing the-wheel 2.3 is notclaimed herein, as it -fornis 'the=subject-matter of a divisional...amilieatiflnifiledon the 28th day of October, 1919,' Serial No.

334,081. It will be evident that .this ar rangement, which will not be needed in case 'the machine is used for rough grindingrthe blade edges, can be omitted o'r thrown out of action without affecting the operation of the remaining parts, and that the details of construction and arrangement of the mechanism can be modified in various' gays without departing from my invention.

I claim r l l. In a. bludesharpening machine, the combination of a grinding wheel, a pivotally mounted arm, a blade holder carried therebyhand means for adjusting the arm on its pivotal axis to 'vary the 'position of the blade holder with respect to the wheel'.

2. In a blade-sliaipenipg machine, the combination of a vgrinding wheelLa pivot'- ally mounted arm` having a...pair of. spaced bearings, a blade holder carried thereby. and means for independently adjusting said bearings to vary the position of the blade holder with res ect to the wheel.

3. In a bla( e-sharpening machine, the combination of a rinding wheel, an arm provided with a pair of spaced bushings eceentrically mounted on a common axis and independently adjustable circumferentially the blade when presentedby thhldeijin when presented thereto2 blaideffpositional!!` with respect to the arm, and a blade holder carried by said arm.'

4:.'Inl a .blade-sharpening machine, the combination of a base plate, a grinding wheel mounted thereon abracket carried `by the base plate and 'adjustable toward and' away fromthe axis'of the wheel, 'an arm carried by said bracket and provided with a pair ,of spaced .bushings eccentrically mounted on a common axis, said bushings being inde endcntly ad`ust'able circumferentially wit respect to t e arm, and a' blade holder carried by said arm.

5. A blade-sharpenin machine comprising a grinding wheel and a pivotall mount- 'e'd arm each having a -horizonta axis, a

blade holder-carried by the arm abovel the,` grinding wheel and arrangedQ tojhiijld.af blade in a slanting position withres et to j the wheel when presented thereto, means-'85; for raising and lowering the arngflnconvjf bination with automatic b1i''tde-1rnanipulat- .f` ing mechanism located in position Lto grits horizontal lane. t

6. A blade sharpening machineJcmpris-- ing agrinding wheel and a pivot.allyflil,oiintf -ed arm each having a horizontal; blade' holder carried bythe arm abo` j L 'grinding Wheel and includin a ble/delen vporting jawadapted to hol abladefin slanting position with. respect, to theiyvli.'

xtending y upwardly therefrom, and means for I and lowering'the arm, in 'combination with' tutomatic blade manipulating'. ocated in position to graspa projectin' edge or the blade while 'presented bvth holder in'a horizontal plane.

7. In a 'blade-sharpening .mach

devices carried -by said jaw la d" combination of a grinding WheelQanj-'arni f .f'l'h I pivotally mounted on an axis lying -n thev same plane as the top of the Wheel, parallel with the axis of the llatter, a blade holder pivotally mounted on the arm with its laxis lnclined to said plane and extending trans-l l versely to the axes of the Wheel and the ardu,4 and means for adjusting the arm on its pivotal axisto vary the position'-of the blade holder with respect to the wheel.

. 8. In a bladesharpening machine, the: l combination of a grinding wheel, a pair of arms pivotally 'mounted on a common axis lying in the same plane .as the top of the wheel, parallel with the axis of the lutter, said arms being movable upward aud downward independently of each other, a blade holder pivotally mounted on one of the arms f with its axis inclined'to said plane and extending transversely to the axes of the wheel and the arms, and a self-alining pressure bar carried by the other arm and extending lengthwise of the V'wheel directly above the latter.

' cach other, parallel with the axis of the above the ,grinding wheel, means for ad# justing the latter arm with respect to itsaxis to vary the position 'of the blade holder with respect tothe wheel, a self-alining pressure bar carried by the other arml and eX- ten'ding lengthwise o'ifv the wheel above the blade holder, and means for adjusting the pressure bar in the direction of its length.

l). in a bladesharpening machine, the combination of a grinding wheel, a pair ot' lixed pivot pins located in alinement with wheel, an arm provided with a pair of bushw ings eccentrically mounted on said pins respeotivelyand independently adjustable with respect to thearm2 a selialinin blade holder mounted on said arm and ocated above the grinding wheel, another arm p ivotal'ly mounted on said pins, a self-alin- .ing pressure bar carried by the latter arm and extending lengthwise of the wheel above the blade holder, and means for adjusting the pressure bar in the direction of its lengt-b..

l1. in a blade-sharpening machine, the' combination with a grinding wheel and a blade holder movable toward and away from the wheel and arranged to present the edge of a blade thereto, of a support movable toward and away from the wheel and Iblade holder independently of the latter, a plate pivotally n'ionnted on said support with its axis extending transversely to the axis of the wheel, a self-alining pressure bar carried by said plate and extending lengthwise of the wheel., and means for adjusting said plate on its pivotal axis to vary the longitudinal position of the pressure bar.

12. In a blade-sharpening machine, the

combination with a grinding wheel and a bladeholder movable toward and away freni the wheel and arranged to present theedge -of a blade thereto, of a pivotally mounted.

from the.

arm movable toward and awa wheel and blade holder indepenr ently of the latter,A a plate pivotaily mounted on said arm with its yanis extending transversely to the axis of the wheel, a self-alining pressure bar carried by said plate and extending lengthwise ofthe wheel, and a pair of adjusting screws carried by said arm and arranged to bear on the edge of the. plate on opposite sides of its pivotal axis.

13. In a blade-sharpenino* machine, the combination of a grinding wheel, a pivotally mounted arm, a blade holder carried by the arm and having a pair or' hinged jaws with springs for .closing the same, vand means for opening the jaws comprising a linkage carried in part by the arm and extending in close proximity to the pivotal axis of the latter, with a lost-motion connection included in the linkage to insure the closing or" the jaws. f

14. In a blade-sharpening machine, the combination with a grinding wheel end a blade holder movablel upward and downward with respect to the wheel and arranged. to` present theedgc oi? a blade thereto, of a pivotally mounted arm, a pressure bar carvvv ried thereby and movable upward and downward with respect to the blade holder and wheel above the same, and a lever hav ing a loose connection with said arm for raising and .lowering the pressure bar.

Signed at Boston, Mass., this 16th day of November, 191'?.

WLLIAM E. NICKERSN- 

